A variety of gels and ointments are available for application to wounds for a variety of purposes. They may, for example, be used to clean a wound, to promote healing of the wound or to prevent infection. In certain circumstances, the gel or ointment may include an active ingredient which is administered to the patient by topical application of the gel or ointment.
One example of a commercially available wound gel is Intrasite® produced by Smith and Nephew Ltd. This gel contains hydrated carboxymethyl cellulose as a main ingredient and is packaged and applied to wounds in gel form as a primary treatment in order to debride the wound. The gel may also assist in preventing the wound from drying out, thereby promoting healing.
Wound gels are generally in gel form at the time of application to the wound and are usually applied by being squeezed from a tube or other suitable container by hand or by other suitable means. Since gels are mobile they offer the advantage of intimate contact with the often irregular surface of a wound, something that is often not achieved with a more rigid wound dressing. The advantage of good contact is however tempered by the conflicting needs of making the gel sufficiently mobile that it can be applied to the wound but not so mobile that it runs out of the wound under the influence of gravity. Gels currently in use suffer from the disadvantage that they can run out of the wound. Thus, there is a need in the art for a composition for topical application to a wound which forms an immobile gel when in contact with the wound or skin injury.